Lists, Lists, and More Lists

By Cathy

Ideas for a blog post can come from several different places, maybe an article that was read, an experience, thoughts, feelings, or as in this case – a suggestion. In my last post, I mentioned my Journal Of Lists. Pam, one of our faithful readers, left this comment, "The journal of lists sounds excellent. Can you do a blog post about that?" Yes, Pam I can! I would love to share a few things about my journal.

Lists are a delightful thing to me, no matter what type of list it is. I even like my grocery list and I love to mark things off on my Will Do list. I keep a Book List where I record details about books I’ve read; the title, author, main character’s names, and the year it was written. Daily I try to add something to my Blessings List. I think you get the picture! I love lists!

My Journal Of Lists is a simple, 6" x 8.5" black, spiral-bound notebook. It was rather dull looking so I put stickers on the front and tied on a few metallic ribbons to spiff it up a bit. In it I keep lists of everything: words, feelings, colors, phrases, observations, and memories.  I’ll share a few of my titles to give you an idea of what’s written on the pages.

• In A Jar
• Orange
• I Am
• Sounds AT (wherever I am)
• Favorite Scents
• Today I Celebrate
• Signs In The Library – I go to the library all the time, but have never stopped and looked at all the signs. I quickly found 20.
• Words, Words, Words – a continuing list of words I find that make me happy
• Delightful Phrases – a continuing list of phrases from books I’ve read
• Through The Binoculars – I listed ten things that I saw through my binoculars, not common things like trees, but things I would not have noticed without the use of the binoculars, like turtles on a log across the river.
• Crayon Names – This one was just for fun, because I love Crayons and love their names: granny smith apple, thistle, maize, dandelion; just to mention a few.
• Down Under – I turned over a large rock and recorded ten things I saw under it. Finding ten things was harder than I thought it would be.
• Pick One – I picked one thing, my grandmother’s crystal goblet, and recorded everything I saw in detail.
• Multiples – After collecting six rocks I listed 25 differences.

In case you're wondering where I get my ideas for lists, I have a list of list ideas. Although some of the ideas or mine, I did search Google and found hundreds of list ideas.

Keeping a journal of lists is a simple thing, but the benefits are huge. Lists can be a short way of journaling, where I list where I am, what I’m doing, what I see, hear, and taste.  I can look back on the list and recall a fun day or activity. It’s also a valuable tool for strengthening and training my eye for photography and challenging my senses. For instance, one of my most recent lists was, Observations From The Hammock, where I wrote down what I saw above me, below me, to the left, to the right, and what I heard. Lists can be short or long, although I do try to always list at least ten things.

I hope I’ve inspired you to start list making. It can be a fun activity. Lists get right to the point and they're easy to write. You could get a really cute notebook and use different colored pens. You could sketch, doodle, or paste pictures along with your words. The possibilities are endless.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is officially the first day FALL. This is the start of FALL in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Today, the length of night and day is approximately the same. In celebration I will take my Journal of Lists outside and record my observations of this first FALL day. Even if you’re not a list maker, take a few moments today and celebrate FALL. You might even want to share a FIRST DAY OF FALL picture in our Flickr photostream.

It is the summer’s great last heat,

It is the fall’s first chill.

They meet.

~ Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

The Written Word

by Kelly

We all know that words have power.

The words that we read.  The words that we speak...both to others and ourselves.  

But there is special power in the written word.   

I have long been a proponent of writing things down.  For me, when I write things down, it tends to stick better...like appointments on my calendar and my to-do list.  And it's been proven that students who hand-write their lecture notes retain a significantly higher percentage of the information that is given in class.  

Researchers who have studied this phenomenon discovered that the physical act of writing stimulates the visual, motor, and cognitive parts of the brain.  To put pen to paper requires that these three parts of the brain work together, and it is in this process that a unique neural circuit is created.

  

I find it fascinating that writing and reasoning are so profoundly connected.  But I would like to think that it is not just so that we can keep better track of our grocery lists.  I also believe that writing things down has the power to heal.  To edify.  To encourage.

Words have power...yes....but there is magic in the written word.

Try it and see for yourself.

Until next time.

Kelly

p.s. A special thanks to Karen Walrond for sharing this great NYTimes.com article.

Speak Easy

by Leigh

I'm so glad Susan has chosen "Word Art" as our theme for this month although words have never come easily for me.  Well…that's not exactly true.  Sometimes words came too easy…..actually too quickly….as in not thinking before I speak!  The true, authentic words are hard for me. At the beginning of the year,  I chose mindfulness as my word to focus on in 2014.  I wanted to be more mindful of how I speak to others, how I speak to myself (you know…that nagging inner voice that tells you that you're never good enough) and I wanted to be more mindful of what was around me in that present moment which means more listening and less interrupting.  It hasn't been an easy journey and it's not one that will ever come to completion, but I can feel a difference.  I notice myself really listening to what people have to say instead of being so quick to get my words in that I often interrupted people.  In turn conversations are more meaningful and my words are chosen more carefully and with more thought.  Thinking back I realize that I took words for granted.  I was so quick to spit them out that I was just grabbing what was floating on the surface.  When I dove in deep the words became more special and held more weight.  Does that even make sense?  I am inspired by my fellow FOL contributors whose words flow naturally.  I'm starting to feel like I can get there if I stay on this path of mindfulness.

A friend commented on one of my photos,

"Perfection.  Woman, you have a tremendous gift pairing images and words.  Truly."

Was she really speaking about me?  a gift with words?  Then it dawned on me.  It's not only the words you speak, but the words you choose! The only time words have come easy to me is when shooting my daily instagram photo.  Most of the time the words….or the idea of what I want to say is in my head before I even click the shutter.  It feels good to hear that the words I choose to accompany my images make people feel something.  I can't always come up with the most poetic of words myself, but I always know how an image makes me feel.  There is a strong visual and emotional connection and I search out the right words to express that.  Sometimes I need a quote….other times just a few words will suffice.  It's a balance of knowing what to say, how much to say, and when and how to say it.  I know I'll get there….I've just gotta keep on searching out those words.